The ? Motorist
synopsis from "Paul's Animatograph's & Films catalog
The ? Motorist (sometimes known as The Motorist to Saturn) was made in 1906 by Walter R. Booth for producer Robert W. Paul.
Here's the catalog synopsis:
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Important,--all the illustrations of films in this list are reproduced direct from the films and are NOT made from separate glass-plate negatives.
THE ? MOTORIST
A MOTOR-CAR is seen at the gateway of a villa, with motorist carefully handing his lady into the car, and they drive off and soon get up a good speed. A careful policeman thinks they are exceeding the limit, and waves to them to pull up, but they decline, and he stands right in the way of the car, being caught up by the front gear, and carried away for some yards, until he is eventually dropped off, and one of the car wheels goes over him. The policeman collects the pieces of himself, and resumes his attempt to uphold the law. The motor-car then goes on, until a public-house is seen to entirely stop the way, and the policeman thinks he has now caught his prey. The car, however, does not stop, buy continues its journey right up the front of the house, to the dismay of the fast assembling crowd. The car goes motoring right across the clouds, makes a friendly call on the sun, calmly circling round its circumference, then resumes its cloudy journey, and reaches the planet Saturn. The motorist continues his wild career round the highway of Saturn's ring, but eventually rides off the unusual track into space, and the car is seen falling gracefully through the clouds to earth, until it drops through the roof of a building which turns out to be a Court of Justice. Great confusion is naturally caused, though the car continues its journey unhindered out of the Court, followed by a policeman, magistrate, and other officials, but to their astonishment, while they yet look at the car, and endeavor to arrest the delinquents, a countryman's cart in place of motor, and smock-frocked man and his wife appear, and start moving off, until they get out of reach of justice, when the countryman's cart suddenly becomes again a motor, which now succeeds in making good its escape.
Code word - Motorist. Length 190 feet.
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The illustrations in the catalog entry were a nice find although it's relatively easy to view the actual film. I had first seen "The ? Motorist" way back in a college film course. And from time to time, I watch it again on "The Movies Begin - vol. 2 ".
written: 11/17/2002
